Double Proficiency

After the developments of the last episode, we need to make sure that the timelines align and that the characters’ goals make sense. Project Aphelion is a game about player agency, and while there are tools to just generate the story without any player effort, this is not what appeals to me. Hence, we need an objective for the next leg of the campaign!

Our campaign against d’Venescu is over. Chloe and Fayette are safe, and Tomorrow can finally live her life the way she wants. But does she even know what it is?

We’re getting back in time to the beginning of the month!

This is it! This is what we were waiting for! The resolution to the Great War with the blood mage Anton d’Venescu and his friendly dragon Dzitbalchen. Things happen here, although some people are suspiciously absent.

Is this the final blow we’ll going to deal d’Venescu? No. Does it have the potential to be the most fun? Yes.

In case this is not yet obvious, the protagonist of this story is basically a chaotic neutral warlock/rogue who wishes to be a wizard.

Who’s up for a treat? The brand new and reworked scenario generation system?

I am! It was literally just put together, and we’re taking it on the maiden journey.

As we’re working our way up the campaign finale, there’s a lot of scheming, planning, plotting, and strategizing. On all sides.

Things are heating up in the Warrens as we take a short break from the main campaign and make sure that our protagonist’s life goes on outside of her current quest. You can’t wage a war 24/7 – sometimes you need to make sure nobody brings a second one onto your doorstep.

In this episode, we’re returning d’Venescu’s spell back to the sender (with some freebies attached!). He, unlike us, will not enjoy it. Also, there’s a lovely surprise at the end.

Remember that our protagonist is supposed to be a scientist? The academic type, not the ‘overpowered witch on an obvious corruption arc’? Well, there are times in each researcher’s life when they actually have to do that research. But first: let’s see what is new in the world!

Here’s what we were waiting for: more playtests! This time, a Faction Interference Scenario, so we get to mess with other people’s plans and still get paid. Sounds like paradise? That’s because it’s just a game.

This episode is about as full of plotting and scheming as one can expect. We have unresolved consequences, lots of unresolved tension, stuff happening all around us, a raging war, a plot to kill one of our contacts, we have personal growth and character development, and a rework of the magic system.

There’s also, you know, plot.

Hey-ho, let’s punch the blood mage-o! We’ve been really looking forward to it. And by we, I mean mostly myself.